© jessika wichner 1951 -2021
TRANSCRIPT
TWIN TOWNSCheltenham & Göttingen
70th
anniversary
1951 -2021
The ‘twin’ statues ofKing William IV
in our twin towns
Cheltenham Göttingen
© Eric Miller© Jessika Wichner
… a town of great natural charm, nobly planned streets, gems of Regency architecture, abundance of entertainment in every branch of the Arts and of Sports, an equable climate, world-famous schools and colleges, good hotels, shops that vie with the best in London or Paris – in short, a place for people of all ages, a place for a visit or a lifetime.
1951 -2021Image and text credits Cheltenham Spa guide, Cheltenham Borough Council
The Promenade
Once the New Club…now the Quadrangle offices
© Kath Boothman
© Kath Boothman
© Kath Boothman
All B&W image credits: Cheltenham Spa guide, Cheltenham Borough Council
Image courtesy of Cheltenham Civic Society
The Colonnade
© Kath Boothman
Image credit: Geograph
All B&W image credits: Cheltenham Spa guide,Cheltenham Borough Council
Café Culture
All B&W image credits: Cheltenham Spa guide, Cheltenham Borough Council
© Jill Barlow
© Kath Boothman
© Jill Barlow
…where bone chinahas been replaced
with recyclable cups
Everything is becoming a restaurant…
a former grocer’s shop… a cinema…
two banks…
a church…
and a pub.
www.visitcheltenham.comnow lists over 100 restaurants in Cheltenham
Photos © Jill Barlow
Montpellier Wine Bar The Daffodil Zizzi
Imperial Gardens & The Queen’s Hotel
Image credits Cheltenham Spa guide, Cheltenham Borough Council
© Kath Boothman
Image credit: Geograph
Image credits Cheltenham Spa guide,Cheltenham Borough Council
Image credit: Skyscan Balloon Photography
Montpellier
© Jill Barlow
Image credit: Geograph
All B&W image credits: Cheltenham Spa guide,Cheltenham Borough Council
Image credit: Geograph
The changing face of the High Street
© Chris Bentall
© Kath Boothman
Image credit: Geograph
The Grammar School…becomes a shopping arcade…and then the Brewery Cultural Quarter where you can ‘shop, dine, stay and play’!
Frederick Wright, tobacconist…Beechwood Shopping Arcade… John Lewis department store
Image credit: Geograph
Image courtesy of Cheltenham Civic Society
Image courtesy of Cheltenham Civic Society
Town Hall & Pittville Pump Room
1,000 offer. ___A member of Cheltenham Town Council, Miss E. K. Bayliss, has made an offer of £1,000 towards the restoration of Cheltenham’s historic Pump Room provided a special fund of £10,000 is raised. Western Mail 15th March 1951
All B&W image credits: Cheltenham Spa guide,Cheltenham Borough Council
Image credit: Geograph
© James Hodsdon
Printed and published by J Salmon Ltd, Sevenoaks
© Jill Barlow
Education
Two Grammar Schoolsfor boys and girls become one…
and two collegesbecome one University
Image credit: Eileen Allen
© David Aldred
Images courtesy of University of Gloucestershire Special Collections and Archives
St Mary’s College
© Jill Barlow
© Jill Barlow
St Paul’s College
Black & White Coaches
Image courtesy of Cheltenham Civic Society
Where 350 coaches a day once brought bustle and congestion…
Image credit: Cheltenham Spa guide,Cheltenham Borough Council
Courtesy of John Chandler
only parked cars remain.
Image credit: Geograph
Disappearing railway stations
At St James’s Station…office workers replace passengers
Malvern Road Station…is now the haunt of cyclists and joggers
Lansdown survives
Image credits: Geograph
© David Aldred
© David Aldred
Image credit: Geograph
Sport & the changing skyline
© Alison Pascoe
Image credit: Geograph
Image credit Cheltenham Spa guide,Cheltenham Borough Council
All sorts of baths
Sandford Lido
Spas
All B&W image credits: Cheltenham Spa guide,Cheltenham Borough Council
Image credit: Geograph Photos © Kath Boothman
Photo credit: Melissa DuPont Unsplash
Spa treatments continue…but in a different form
Image credit Cheltenham Spa guide,Cheltenham Borough Council
Hotels then and now
Image credits Cheltenham Spa guide, Cheltenham Borough Council
© Kath Boothman © David Elder© Kath Boothman© Jill Barlow
via the Kandinsky and Montpellier Chapter to…
GCHQ
GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) arrived in Cheltenham in 1951 and since then has just grown and grown.
Photos © Crown Copyright – reproduced by kind permission of Director GCHQ
Benhall 1955 C Block on the Oakley site 1961
Cheltenham in 1951 - the Building Boom
Building Society’s expansion
The centenary year ofthe Cheltenham andGloucester BuildingSociety was marked byan unprecedentedexpansion of investmentand mortgage business.
Western Mail 24th February 1951
Re-routing of the River Chelt during the construction of Princess Elizabeth Way © Alan Bradley
Hesters Way estate
Image credit Cheltenham Spa guide, Cheltenham Borough Council
Image credits: Geograph
Edward Wilson House and the neighbouring
Scott House were built for GCHQ workers
Cheltenham in 2021 – still booming
Leckhampton Place (2016-17)
Barley Road (2018-19) – development between Prestbury Road and New Barn Lane
Birch Mews (2019-20) – an in-fill at the junction of Cudnall Road with the Cirencester Road
Oakley Grange (2017-18) – the old GCHQ Oakley Wood site
Photos © Oliver Pointer
Cheltenham in 1951 – the visit of Princess Elizabeth
Princess in 60 m.p.h dash to be on time
Princess Elizabeth’s carhad to travel at 60 m.p.h.yesterday to keep up withher schedule of visits inCheltenham.She was escorted roundCheltenham College byprefects, and talked withthe headmaster, Mr. A. G.Elliot-Smith.Eight thousandschoolchildren lined theroute to the Hesters Wayhousing estate, wherePrincess Elizabeth cut thefirst turf on the new site.Later she inspected aguard of honour at DeanClose School, and a new-style house at Alma Road,Cheltenham.
Birmingham Gazette,17th March 1951
Commemorative plaque to mark the initiation of the construction of Princess Elizabeth Way © Eileen Allen Images from Local Press
© Kath Boothman
Cheltenham in 2021 – the COVID effectThe Regent Arcade is deserted… restaurants closed…
shops are boarded up… and car parks are empty.
Photos © Jill Barlow
This presentation was produced by Jill Barlow, Kath Boothman and Alison Pascoe,with grateful thanks to other CLHS members who contributed images and ideas.Also thanks to Mike Bottomley and Phil Collins of Cheltenham Civic Society;Cheltenham College Archives; John Chandler and Jill Waller for their contributions.
To find out more about our research activities and programme of lectures
please visit our website at https://www.cheltlocalhistory.org.uk/